Insulator brush



H. E. MILES ET AL INSULATOR BRUSH Filed July 22, 1924 INVENTQR H. )5. MILE 5 ME. MILES IF z'carl \Y Y r B ATTYS Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRA'M. E. MILES AND MASON E. MILES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

INSULATOR BRUSH.

Application filed July 22, 1924. Serial No. 727,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HIRAM E. MILES and MAsoN E. MILES, citizens of the United States, residing at San Francisco, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Insulator Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning insulators in high voltage :electrical transmission lines.

Insulators in high voltage lines located near bodies of salt water as, for example, alongcthe Pacific Coast, become coated with salt, incrustations which cause leaks, flash overs and consequent losses of energy in the lines, the salt deposits acting as conducting mediums and thereby shorting the lines through the poles or supports, to the ground. Lines so situated require fre quent cleaning of the insulators to remove these objectionable salt incrustations and the work of removing or cleaning such deposits is tedious, dangerous, difiicult and requires a great deal of time and labor. With the device of this invention an operator r workman may thoroughly and effectively remove the salt incrustations more readily and easily and with less effort and hazard than has heretofore been possible, thus effecting a saving in labor and expense.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is adjustable and otherwise so constructed that the operator while located at one point on a pole or support, may readily and easily clean the several insulators without having to make numerous changes in his position.

lVith the above mentioned and other oljects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the device of the invention shown in position of use, there also being shown in this figure the several insulators and a part of a pole.

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the device of the invention, being broken away in part for the sake of clearness of illustration.

Fig. 8 represents an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a body plate of the brush.

Fig. 4: represents an enlarged'cross sec-- tional view of the brush.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawing comprises a handle 1, supporting at one end an adjustable brush 2, which brush is especially constructed so as to engage between two superimposed insulators. Tn as sociation with the brush and handle is means generally designated 2 for oscillating the brush, which means includes a reciprocal operating rod ":l: workable at the free end of the handle and provided with a hand grip 5, thus permitting the operator to hold the handle 1 in one hand and to reciprocate the rod i with the other hand.

The handle 1 is tubular and provided with an opening 6 through which a pinion 7 extends and meshes with a rack bar 8 provided as a continuation of the rod 4. The pinion 7 is supported on a shaft 9 journaled in a bracket 10 fixed to the handle and said shaft also carries a sprocket wheel 11. Extended around the sprocket wheel is a sprocket chain 12,,the ends of which are connected with belting strips 13. A small retractilespring 14 is interposed in both of the belting strips so that the flexible belt as a whole, will yield or give on adjustment of the brush. A ferrule 15 is fastened to the inner end of the handle and has an car 16 on its outer end which engages between a pair of cars 17 on the outer end of an arm 18. A pivot bolt 1.9 is inserted through the ears and has a wing nut :20 thereon whereby the brush may be maintained in adjusted position. The arm 18 pivotally supports pulleys 21 on opposite sides thereof, through which pulleys the belt strips 13 extend. The arm 18 is provided as an extension of the body plate 22 of the brush, which body plate is of a substantial U-shape and is provided with a series of arcuate slots 23. Mounted on opposite sides of the body plate are oscillatable brush supporting members or plates 24 and 25, each of which plates is of substantially the same shape as the body plate. Suitably fastened to each of the plates or members 24: and 25 are the backs of brushes 27, there prefen llt) ably being four brushes on each plate. These brushes extend outwardly beyond the outer perimeters of the plates and the bristies at the cndsthereof are extended; in the form of tufts to provide for a better cleaning of the insulators. The plates 2% and 25 are connected with one another by removable fastenings 28, which fastenings slidably cng- ,I'G in the arcuate slots 23. The belt strips l3 are fastened as at 29 to the outer extremities of the plate 9A- and engage the curved outer edges of said plate. The inner ends of the brushes extend into the opening proridcd by the U-shaped body portion and brush supportingplates, as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

In. the operation of the cleaner, the operator having taken a position on the pole within reach of the insulators may adjust the brush, for example as shown in. Fig. 1, so that it extends angularlv with relation to the handle or vice versa, in order to best adapt the brush for engagement with the insulator, this depending onv the position. taken by the operator on the pole. hen the brush is adjusted, the spring 14: and the belt arrangement will yield so that the sprocket chain is maintained in proper en.- gafgement with the sprocket wheel regardless of the adjustment of the brush. The operator then holding the handle 1 with one hand, positions the brushbetwcen insulators designated A, Fig, 1, and as shown in said figure, the brushes being engaged with the opposed surfaces of the opposed surfaces of the insulators. \Vith the other hand the operator graspsthe grip 5 and reciprocates the rod 4-. This, through the rack, pinion, sprocket and belt connection provides for an oscillation of the brush supporting plates and brushes such that the brushes. will be moved swiftly back and forth while in contact with the insulator surfaces.

It will thus be seen that but a short reciprocating movement is requir d to effectively oscillate the brushes in contact with the surfaces of the insulators and that any incrustations collected on the insulators will be removed. The rapidity with which the insulators may be brushed and cleaned as described, provide for a saving in time and expense as compared to the former methods requiring that the operator or workman come within arms length of each insulator in order that it may be brushed by hand.

We claim:

1. A device for cleaning insulators in high voltage electrical transmission lines comprising a handle, a body plate adjust ably connected witlrand supported by the handle, a plurality of brushes disposed on opposite sides of said plate and means operatively associated with said brushes and operable from a point on the handle for imparting a movement to said brushes.

2, A device for cleaning insulators in high voltage electrical transmission lines. comprising a handle, a body plate adjustably connected with and supported by the handle, a plurality of brushes disposed on opposite sides of said plate and means operatively associated with said brushes and operable from a point on the handle for imparting a movement to said brushes, which means includes a rack bar reciprocally mounted on and operable from one end of the handle, a shaft supported by the handle, a pinion meshing with the rack bar, a sprocketwheel fiXed to the shaft, a sprocket chain operatively connected with said brushes and engaged with the sprocket wheel.

3. A device for cleaning insulators in high voltage electrical transmission lines comprising a handle, a substantially U shaped body plate adjustably connected with and supported by the handle, a similar brush supporting plate mounted on each side of the body plate, means for adjustabl-y connecting the brush supporting plates. to said. body plate and means for oscillating the brush supporting plates operatively associated with said plates and handle, being operable from a point on the latter.

4. A device for cleaning insulators in high voltage electrical transmission lines comprising a handle, a body plate adjustably connected with and supported by the handle, which plate is provided with a, slot adapted to receive therein the connecting mediums between superimposed insulators, brushsupporting plates mounted on opposite sides of the body plate and being of a shapecorresponding to the body plate, a plurality of 'adiall'y arranged brushes mounted on the brush supporting plates and arranged to engage the opposed surfaces of superimposed insulators and means for oscillating said brush supporting plates, beingoperatively associated with said plates and the handle.

HIRAM E. MILES; MASON; E. MILES till 

